﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  131 
  

  

  the 
  first, 
  the 
  first 
  with 
  a 
  white 
  spot 
  near 
  the 
  end, 
  the 
  second 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  

   w^hite 
  spot 
  on 
  the 
  inner 
  web, 
  the 
  first 
  black 
  for 
  nearly 
  its 
  whole 
  length, 
  

   the 
  second 
  to 
  the 
  sixth 
  black 
  for 
  a 
  shorter 
  distance, 
  becoming 
  less 
  and 
  less, 
  

   until 
  the 
  sixth, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  narrow 
  bar 
  ; 
  bill 
  greenish 
  yellow 
  with 
  a 
  

   band 
  of 
  black 
  around 
  it 
  at 
  the 
  angle 
  ; 
  iris 
  pale 
  yellow 
  ; 
  eyelids 
  orange-red 
  ; 
  

   feet 
  greenish 
  ^^ellow. 
  In 
  winter: 
  Back 
  of 
  head 
  and 
  neck 
  spotted 
  with 
  

   dusk}^ 
  First 
  winter 
  plumage: 
  Irregularly 
  mottled 
  with 
  dusky 
  brown 
  

   and 
  white, 
  the 
  back 
  showing 
  patches 
  of 
  pearl-blue; 
  primaries 
  black; 
  tail 
  

   mosth^ 
  white 
  with 
  a 
  broad 
  band 
  of 
  black 
  near 
  the 
  end; 
  bill 
  tipped 
  with 
  

   black, 
  sometimes 
  with 
  a 
  yellowish 
  spot 
  at 
  the 
  end. 
  Juvenal 
  plumage: 
  

   Heavily 
  mottled 
  with 
  brownish 
  black, 
  the 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  parts 
  

   margined 
  with 
  buffy 
  white 
  ; 
  basal 
  third 
  of 
  bill 
  flesh-color, 
  the 
  rest 
  black. 
  

  

  Length 
  18-20 
  inches; 
  extent 
  49; 
  wing 
  13. 
  5- 
  14. 
  75; 
  tail 
  6; 
  bill 
  1.55-1.75; 
  

   gape 
  2.3 
  ; 
  depth 
  of 
  bill 
  at 
  angle 
  .5-.65 
  ; 
  tarsus 
  1.9-2.45 
  ; 
  middle 
  toe 
  1.8. 
  The 
  

   smaller 
  dimensions 
  refer 
  to 
  the 
  females 
  and 
  A'ounsf. 
  

  

  ^&- 
  

  

  Distinctive 
  marks. 
  This 
  bird 
  can 
  scarcely 
  be 
  mistaken 
  for 
  any 
  other 
  

   of 
  our 
  gulls, 
  except 
  the 
  Herring 
  gull, 
  but 
  I 
  am 
  inclined 
  to 
  think 
  this 
  often 
  

   occurs, 
  as 
  comparatively 
  few 
  reports 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  received 
  

   from 
  amateur 
  observers 
  throughout 
  the 
  State. 
  This 
  bird 
  is 
  5 
  inches 
  shorter 
  

   than 
  the 
  Herring 
  gull. 
  The 
  old 
  birds 
  also 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  

   black 
  ring 
  on 
  the 
  bill, 
  the 
  greenish 
  yellow 
  legs, 
  and 
  the 
  black 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  

   primary; 
  and 
  young 
  birds 
  by 
  the 
  size, 
  and 
  the 
  broad 
  band 
  on 
  the 
  tail. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  boreal 
  and 
  arctic 
  zones, 
  breeding 
  

   mostly 
  in 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  British 
  America. 
  According 
  to 
  Giraud 
  and 
  Dutcher 
  

   it 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  winter 
  visitant 
  on 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  Long 
  Island. 
  Dr 
  Braislin 
  

   calls 
  it 
  a 
  regular 
  transient 
  visitant, 
  rare 
  in 
  winter 
  and 
  summer. 
  It 
  is 
  given 
  

   as 
  an 
  occasional 
  winter 
  visitant 
  in 
  the 
  Hudson 
  Highlands, 
  by 
  Meams; 
  at 
  

   Ossining, 
  by 
  Fisher; 
  and 
  in 
  western 
  New 
  York, 
  by 
  Short. 
  The 
  Auburn 
  

   List 
  gives 
  it 
  as 
  a 
  rare 
  visitant. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  from 
  Cayuga, 
  Erie, 
  

   Essex, 
  Monroe, 
  Niagara, 
  Oneida, 
  Ontario, 
  Orleans, 
  Oswego, 
  Onondaga^ 
  

   Seneca, 
  Schuyler, 
  Tioga, 
  Westchester 
  and 
  Yates 
  counties, 
  but 
  in 
  nearly 
  

   every 
  instance 
  was 
  called 
  a 
  rare 
  transient 
  visitant. 
  On 
  Canandaigua 
  and 
  

   Ssneca 
  lakes 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  decidedly 
  less 
  common 
  than 
  the 
  Herring 
  and 
  

   Bonaparte 
  gulls, 
  but 
  on 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  and 
  the 
  Erie 
  canal 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  

   ■fairly 
  abundant 
  as 
  a 
  spring 
  migrant. 
  The 
  record 
  of 
  its 
  nesting 
  at 
  Axton 
  in 
  

  

  